


Bureaucratic Heavenly Affairs

by katalosersa



Series: Chinese Myths and the Untamed [1]
Category: Chinese Mythology, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Crossover, Fierce Corpse! Wen Ning, Gen, How the gods react to Wei Wuxian., Yan Lou Wang and the Underworld
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23511598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katalosersa/pseuds/katalosersa
Summary: It has come to the attention of the Jade Emperor that there exists an aberrant creature in the earthly realm. He beseeches the Lord Yan Lou Wang to immediately procure a solution—““Send him away.”“But, Wang Ye— The Jade Emper—“ Yan Lou Wang sends the ox a piercing glare, forcing him to shut his mouth.“Understood, Your Highness.”In which, Wen Ning’s resurrection brings the king of hell a whole mountain of paperwork and a cart full of complaints from the Jade Court.Ah,Bureaucracy.Or Alternatively; How Wen Ning becomes next in line for the throne of hell.
Relationships: Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn & Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín & Wēn Qíng, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn& Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín
Series: Chinese Myths and the Untamed [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691746
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25





	Bureaucratic Heavenly Affairs

Wei Wuxian was never really one to put a lot of thought into the after part of his achievements. Unless of course, when it stares him in the face as the tiger seal did.

The moment he placed his hands on Wen Ning’s shoulder and forced him back to life, all he could think about was anger, resentment, and fed all of it to his words;

“Wen Qionglin!”

His words echoed around his head, and around the desolate surroundings of Qiongqi path.

In reply, Wen Ning had risen, with a vengeance. The scene that followed that event was so hauntingly grotesque. Wen Ning, packed full with strong resentful energy managed to absolutely slaughter their enemies. Screams filled the path as everyone ran for lifelike ants scrambling around. Wei Wuxian did not bat an eye, his mind numb with anger.

He found the other cultivators in a small rundown shack, beaten bloody. Their eyes alight with fear as he appeared before them, Wen Qing’s unconscious form in his arms. He did not say much. He knew they would follow.

“Get the Horses!” He barked, before turning his attention to Wen Ning. Sweet, kind Wen Ning. Who, at the moment was currently occupied with his task at hand, a task that involved savagely ripping bodies apart like they were made of paper.

“Enough!” He shouted putting power into his voice like his life depended on it. He had to get Wen Ning under control. Low growls of dissatisfaction echoed from Wen Ning’s throat as he clutched his head in pain, but he does, he listens under the weight of his creator’s words.

“Follow us!” He ordered harshly as he mounted his horse. He struck the horse’s back with his legs and led their group of a dozen or so horses, riding to Yiling in the midst of the storm. Wen Ning following in the shadows.

As soon as they arrived, Wei Wuxian felt the exhaustion creeping into his bones. It took a great deal of effort to keep Wen Ning in line. He had expected it, the kindest of people were always the most prone to bottling up their resentment, resulting in truly fearsome fierce corpses.

He used the last of his energy to direct Wen Ning to the demon slaughtering cave, ordering some of the unnamed Wen disciples he had rescued merely hours ago to help him hold Wen Ning as he feverishly produced an assortment of binding seals, some he had quickly revised.

Only as soon as Wen Ning was fully bound using spiritual rope, layered in sealing talismans, did he finally allow himself to collapse from exhaustion.  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_“I want to return him to how he was when he was alive.”_

_“Dreaming again, aren’t you? Awaken his consciousness? What’d be the difference between a fierce corpse like this and a human being? In my opinion, if you really succeeded, nobody would need to be a human and nobody would need to cultivate. They could just come to you and ask to be made into a fierce corpse.” (GDC, ERS, 2018.)_

Jiang Cheng’s words echoed around him as he hunched over his makeshift desk, chock full with an assortment of his notes and trinkets.

There had to be a way. He was going to make one. He’d already promised Wen Qing that he would bring her brother back, no matter the cost. Now, it was a matter of figuring out how to pull a soul back from the Diyu.

For nights, he toiled; drawing array after array, each getting more complex than the one that preceded, subjecting each and every one of them to logical tests. Until, finally, he had one that passed his own rigorous scrutiny. But this-this required equivalent exchange. A soul for a soul.

Theoretically, it was sound. Wei Wuxian knew that this was going to be a gamble, but if it works— If it works, then Wen Ning would be back, alive again.

He explained the basic idea of the method to Wen Qing. She stayed silent for a long time before finally, she said; “Then take mine, I will give my soul in exchange for my brother's.”

The conviction in her voice almost broke Wei Wuxian’s heart. But, he understood. He’d had the same for Jiang Cheng before. Now he knew, why she had been so adamant at refusing him when he first entertained the idea of core transfer. But this was on another level, Wen Qing is volunteering her _life_ for this. Not a core one can technically live without.

“You cannot possibly do that. You are the only skilled doctor left in the burial mounds. The people need you.” He said. His eyes downcast. “Wen Ning would not want you to do so.”

They stayed in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Wei Ying opened his mouth, intent on apologizing for all the bragging he had done about being able to bring Wen Ning back to life before a shuffling sound disturbs them.

They turn their heads to the mouth of the cave to see one Wen Qing’s distant relatives, Wen Xiang, shuffle over, a tray filled with steaming broth in his hands. Wei Ying decided to save his apology for after Wen Xiang takes his leave.

“You young people need to eat well or you will shrivel up faster than normal.” The uncle said as he offered each of them a bowl of broth that only contained some bits of vegetables. There really wasn’t much to eat, food was a daily struggle in the burial mounds as crops had difficulty growing. They both remain silent, murmuring sincere thanks as they each received a bowl.

“Wen Qing, you have certainly grown into a fine young lady…. Your dedication to family is the greatest I have seen.” The old man said, smiling at Wen Qing. “But, there is no need for you to sacrifice your very life, when you have us.. It is the least we can do to repay you and Wei-gongzi for everything you have done for us..”

“Uncle, what is this about?” Wen Qing asked, shooting Wei Wuxian an alarmed look. Did he hear them?

“Wei-gongzi, Qing-guniang. I meant no offense by eavesdropping, but in light of this, I offer you a solution.” The old man bows low before lifting his head up with the same air or dignity Wen Qing always carried herself with, before the tragedy.

“I am willing to offer my soul, in exchange for Wen-gongzi’s. I am old and frail, and would only continue to burden the survival of the people in the burial mounds.” He said lowly, with intent.

“Uncle!” Wen Qing rose from her seat, putting her hands on the old man’s shoulders.

“Please! Let me do this, for you and your brother.” The old man was resolute. This was the least he could do for the siblings' good actions towards not only his family but the rest of the remnants. They had helped them, even though they were part of a non-existent branch in the family, even smaller than Wen Qing’s.

“I have no more immediate family left in the camp, my wife has been dead for fifteen years and….my son… has died in the hands of the Jin. Please, allow me to do this. I have no more wish to remain in this realm.”  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The process of bringing ripping a soul out of the Diyu was long and arduous. It had taken them three days just to prepare the array. They needed a lot of blood for that. Luckily, the blood pool had more than enough supply.

Wei Wuxian spent the next few days teaching Wen Xiang the correct incantation required to activate the array. After all was said and done, they agreed to perform the ritual a few days later. They insisted on giving Wen Xiang enough time to spend the last of his days in comfort and peace, hearing about his life and his experiences.

The day of the ritual bore heavy on the people who knew, but they kept their silence. They knew the old man enough to understand. For a whole night, Wei Wuxian labored, directing energy towards the array as the old man did the necessary steps to activate the spell. The array glowed, steadily becoming brighter as more words fell from his lips.

A burst of blinding light marked the end of the spell and Wen Xiang collapsed like a crumbling pillar. Wei Wuxian tried to push way whatever doubt he had in his heart. There had been a chance for failure, a chance that this old man would have given his life for nothing.

Then they saw it, a blue orb floating on top of Wen Xiang’s slumped body. A soul. They had done it. Wei Wuxian reacted immediately. Rushing forward with a spirit trapping pouch in hand, he immediately captured the soul for fear that it might float away back to the Diyu.

He immediately handed the pouch to Wen Qing, who started the process of replacing it into her brother, and just like that, it was done. The soul disappears into the body taking its otherworldly glow along with it. All they had to do now was wait.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The palace shook as the earth around it rumbled. Something was amiss. Xiu and Ma had been accounting for the souls they had recently collected in the past week, when suddenly they notice black tendrils of energy descending from the earthen ceiling hung over Yudou*. They were close, but the tendrils did their work fast.

It reached for a particular soul, encasing it in a cloud of energy that even their weapons could not cut through.

 _It was a bridge!_ they thought in panic, as they scrambled to sever the column of black energy that reached from the earth to the underworld. Nothing like this has ever happened before!

Just as they were about to try something, anything to break the forsaken bridge, it vanished. Just like that.

They looked upon the souls, going straight for the one that held the column to it moments ago, only to find it different. The soul was not tinged blue, it was instead, still white.

Not a soul they had touched. Not a soul they had collected, but a soul nonetheless.

Ma immediately sends a messenger talisman straight to the palace, containing a report on the events that had just transpired.

Yan Lou Wang, was not going to be happy.

“We must go, quickly!” Xiu said in a rush, as they ran towards their lord’s palace.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yan Lou Wang never asked for this job, never. If he had known that this is what awaited him after death, then he would have clung to his life like a flea on a dog’s body. Instead, he had welcomed death like a warm blanket, in the hopes that he would take his place in the Jade Court.

It was a stupid gamble, he stupidly, sorely lost.

Now, here he was, millennia into his service as the king of hell, presider of judgment, keeper of souls, etc. The work was monotonous, humans had little variety when it came to sin. It always went around theft, adultery, slander, hypocrisy, and of course, the occasional murder.

Then there were, of course, the juicy ones. Now _those_ , involved _mass_ murder, genocide, patricide— quite the colorful array really. Now those, he took delight in dealing with.

But this, this was new. He reread the report in his hands more than three times, before finally giving his most loyal servants, Niu and Ma; a long, heavy look.

He breathed out a long, suffering sigh. Kuaiji, his faithful scribe, dutifully hands him a scroll, containing all the names of the people Wei Wuxian has sent to the underworld. Unsurprisingly, all the names listed shared one particular trait, _Wen affiliation._

Which made it even worse. Considering these guys had their own share of crimes, mostly severe. The very reason for the mountain of paperwork he had to sort through and pass judgment on. For now, he’s chucked the longer ones in a separate pile. He was positively excited to read through a thorough account of the one labeled _Wen Rouhan_.

For now, however, he opted to deal with the minor ones quickly first. Just so he can take his sweet time entertaining himself with better goods.

“Oh, the name is not under that list, check the one by Jin Zixun.” Ma said pointing at a scroll in the far wall, containing scrolls detailing the crimes of people still alive. Kuaiji, shuffles over, quickly retrieving the scroll and placing it in his lord’s hands.

Yan Lou Wang quickly scans over the document, a long list as it was, quickly finding the murder section. There it was, Wen Ning, courtesy “Qionglin”. Beside it, written in red ink was the equivalent of an error prompt.

 ** _Anomaly; Soul retrieved, replaced with another; Wen Xiang_**. So his faithful servants weren’t writing nonsense in their report after all. While he still made them write reports on their work, the scrolls worked separately, enchanted to document each person’s life and crimes. Something that would, of course, be too tedious for his loyal servants to account for themselves.

Sometimes, he really wished there had been some form of help manual left for him when he took the position. At this point, he didn’t quite know how to deal with this.

He chucks Jin Zixun’s scroll into the long pile. That was gonna be a pain to work on, but he had to finish this mountain first. Both Xiu and Ma gave him confused looks, to which he only replied;

“Get back to work!”, and shooed them off. He needed time to think.

Hopefully, there is still some time before some poor sap from the jade court gets sent down to his palace with the intent to scream his ears off.

  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
Much to his disappointment, the head honcho of heaven was a very diligent ruler. He had only gotten through a little over half of the pile of work on his desk. This was already him worker faster than he had ever had in the past century when one of his ghostly attendants swept into the room.

“Wang Ye, an official from the jade court has come seeking your audience. He insists on waiting for you in the throne room.” The ghost said. Yan Lou Wang, in a burst of annoyance, chucks his brush at the ghost. Only to have it pass cleanly through its translucent body. Kuaiji, yelped in surprise as he is disturbed from his own work by the sound of a pillar collapsing as it was neatly cut in half.

“Tell him, I shall be there shortly.” The ghost bowed respectfully, before leaving the room. Yan Lou Wang decided that he was gonna take his own time getting to the throne room.

He arrives in the throne room after two shichen. The jade court official was frantically pacing around the room, rehearsing his speech. Yan Lou Wang had to suppress the urge to just wring the minor god’s neck.

“His majesty, Yan Lou Wang!” Another ghostly servant announced his presence. The poor jade official scrambled into place, immediately lowering his head to the ground. At least this one had the sense to fear him, unlike that blasted monkey.

“Speak.” He ordered as he took his seat upon his throne.

“This humble servant greets the King of Hell, Yan Lou Wang!” The minor god said, his voice loud and clear, though still bearing a hint of fear.

“It has come to the attention of the Jade Emperor that there exists an aberrant creature in the earthly realm. He beseeches the Lord Yan Lou Wang to immediately procure a solution—“

_Honestly, why couldn’t the Jade Emperor just leave him to handle this at his own pace?_

Yan Lou Wang decided to hear him out, the heavenly court had more eyes watching the affairs of men than he did anyway. He must have something useful to say.

“A mortal by the name of Wei Wuxian has succeeded in returning a recently deceased soul to the body of a fierce corpse. The Jade Emperor orders Wang Ye to issue his own account regarding the breach of the Diyu—“

Orders.

“The Jade Emperor demands the presence of Lord Yan Lou Wang to the heavenly palace in three days—“ The official stopped, eyeing the king nervously “—in order to commence a trial for the lord’s negligence as well—“ The minor god droned on about a list of grievances that have further been lobbied against him by those petty creatures the Jade Emperor called his subjects.

“Send him away.”

“But, Wang Ye— He had not finished the decre—“ Yan Lou Wang sends the ox a piercing glare, forcing him to shut his mouth.

“Understood, Your Highness.”

“W-Wait—“ The minor god attempted to say something more as Yan Lou Wan abruptly rose and left the room. He’s heard enough. Heaven had, as always, nothing useful to say.

Why can’t he just quit his job and return to the cycle of reincarnation?

 _You’d need to find a successor first, a human soul. Willing._.. His mind supplied, remembering Guan Yin’s words from so long ago.

She really was so merciful.

TBC.

Footnotes:

1\. Yan Lou Wang - King of the Chinese underworld, equivalent to Yamaraja or Hades in western mythology.

2\. Wen Xiang - Cannon Fodder.

3\. Diyu - Chinese Underworld/Hell, composed of 10-18 layers depending on which source you read. Each Layer is ruled by its own minor king.

4\. Yudou - Capital City of the Underworld. Where judgment is passed, and where the main king’s palace is.

5\. Xiu and Ma - Ox and Horse. (don’t know if the words are correct, but that’s what google said). Refer to the guardians of hell Oxhead and Horsehead, loyal servants to the king. Also collectors of souls.

6\. Kuaiji - writer, random name I picked up for the king's scribe (also in the myths). He’s in charge of accounting for the names, death dates, and crimes of all souls.

7\. Jade Emperor - Ruler of the heavens.

8\. Jade Court - alternately the gods in heaven.

9\. Guan yin - Goddess of Mercy who resides in the south

**Author's Note:**

> This is a two part fic i wrote as a sort of practice. I am currently working on a longer fic incorporating a more complex string of myths and this was, hmm, let's say, getting the feel for it?
> 
> If you know journey to the west, the classic novel, then you'll feel sort of at home. I tried hahahahah
> 
> I do recommend you all to check out them wacky chinese myths! I love em so much hahaaha 
> 
> If you have any questions regarding myths, don't hesitate to ask! and please do leave a comment if you have the time (those never fail to boost my writing).


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